Tobacco Pipe Filters Explained

From what I’ve been told, you can’t buy an unfiltered pipe in Germany. That would be important if you live in Germany, but if you don’t, you may be wondering why that’s a requirement. I wonder as well, because different types of filters do different things, and I don’t know if the people who made filters a requirement are even aware of that fact. This is a subject that causes some controversy, so being the idiot I am, I’m going to wade in these waters up to my waist.

Why even bother with a filtered pipe? That will depend on what you’re trying to accomplish. If you’re doing it for health reasons, I believe that you’re operating under a misconception. A filter will only have a significant impact if you inhale, and then only if you’re using the right kind.

Types of Pipe Filters

Let’s look at the different types of pipe filters in use today. They come in three basic forms- pass-through filters with a filter element inside, absorptive filters and condensers.

Pass-Through Filters

The pass-through filter includes the 6 mm American type (Dr. Grabow and Medico), the 9 mm European style which usually uses activated charcoal, the ring-type filter for Falcon pipes and the ones that use silica crystals, among others. This type of filter is fairly effective at removing particulate matter (the visible part of the smoke), and thus will reduce tars and nicotine. If you inhale, this may make the practice marginally safer, but all it will really accomplish for the person who doesn’t inhale is to reduce the flavor and some excess moisture.

There has never been a definitive study about the health impact of using a filtered pipe, but the incidence of issues for non-inhaling smokers are pretty low to begin with, so I can’t imagine that a filter would make much of a difference. In fact, it might even lead to smoking more frequently as the removal of the smoke particles make leave the smoker less satisfied with the flavor which may lead to reloading sooner. Those filters are the only ones that remove a significant amount of particles from the smoke stream, so they are what you would want to use if you inhale, but the other types will be of little use for removal of anything but moisture.

Absorptive Pipe Filters

The absorptive types include the Savinelli Pipes 6 and 9 mm balsa filters and the Brigham Pipes maple filters. In both cases the units are effective for soaking up water from the smokestream, but little of the actual smoke is removed, and the result is a drier experience which may also help to keep the smoke cool by taking steam out of the flow. The pass-through filters also remove moisture, but they have the drawback of reducing the flavor. For an example of a pipe with an absorptive filter, check out these Savinelli filter pipes.

Condenser Pipe Filters

The last kind of filter really isn’t a filter at all. The condenser fits into, or is part of, the tenon of the stem. Its express purpose is to disrupt airflow, and due to the fact that they are made of metal which tends to be cooler than the smoke, the excess moisture will tend to condense on or around the condenser so it never reaches the smoker’s mouth. These pieces, also known as “stingers”, are only modestly effective, and I tend to pull them out and throw them away if I find one in a new pipe. For an example of a pipe with a condenser filter, check out these Kaywoodie filter pipes.

Final Thoughts on “Safer” Pipe and Cigar Smoking

I’ve been in the tobacco business on and off since the mid-seventies, and I enjoy the people, the culture and the products, but I’d like to make my personal definitive statement on the health issues as it concerns making the hobby “safer”, and this is it- if you’re a cigar or pipe smoker and you don’t inhale, your health risks are as low as a smoker can face, but don’t interpret this to mean that there aren’t any potential hazards. At the same time, once again with the caveat that you don’t inhale, using filters and smoking “natural” (whatever that means) or organic tobacco will not appreciably reduce the risk involved.

In fact, you probably do more to help yourself by having something to drink while smoking to rinse the residue out of your mouth than any filter or, supposedly, unadulterated tobacco will. Now that I’ve opened this can of worms, let’s see if we can put them back in the tin.

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Russ Ouellette is the blender/creator of the Hearth & Home series of tobaccos for www.pipesandcigars.com in Bethlehem, PA. He has been a pipe smoker and blender for over 30 years, and enjoys feedback from the pipe smoking public. You can reach Russ at russo@pipesandcigars.com or by calling 1-800-494-9144.

I’m guessing the bureaucrats in Germany worked OT coming up with yet another faux-safety net to decide how to insure a pipe smoker’s health isn’t compromised while experiencing the pleasures of ‘baccy. Ever notice how the central planners never enact regs that make it unlawful to have their ilk involving themselves in every aspect of the citizen’s existence!!! But, we’re heading there ourselves & pipe tampons will be the rage in the USA if our Central Planners have their way. Especially if NHC is forced upon us.

Personally I wouldn’t use a filter. I had a friend say that someone she knew got mouth cancer after smoking a pipe for six months, and then Gerald Ford and Churchill smoked daily and lived into their 90s, so who knows? Stay educated and do what you want.

Question, I am cosidering a filtered pipe. I see advertisements for “9 mm” pipe filters. I understand “mm” refers to milli-meters, yet 9 mm is equal to about 3/8″. What is the “9 mm” for filters refer to?

American filtered pipes (Dr. Grabow, Medico and corncobs) use a filter that is around 6 mm in diameter. Filtered pipes from Europe use a much thicker filter, 9 mm in diameter. The filters cannot be used interchangeably.

Thank you for the comments. I am an artist, and recently I have been messing around with wood and doing some carving. I want to try making a pipe and I was wondering about the filter issue. I have also been looking for information regarding the filters in pipe. Anyways, Thanks for the information.

just my 2 cents:
- You can buy plenty of unfiltered pipes in Germany, you won’t find them at the newsstand though, even if he offers more than the 3-5 standard tobacco brands and is otherwise “well-sorted” for you pipe smoking needs. For that you have to go to special pipe & cigar dealers which can be found in many cities.
- However: ~ 90 % of German pipe smokers use filtered pipes. You usually start filtered, and they are easier and cheaper to acquire which is important if you are just starting. And changing to unfiltered can be a very unpleasent and painful experience. The drag is different & if you are smoking to hot or wet you imediately get your punishment, whereas a filtered pipe may forgive you some mistakes. You have to re-learn how to smoke your pipe & and your favourite tobaccos can taste quite different.
- I only use 9mm charcoal filters with some pure Virginias or VaPers. I love the taste, but my tongue ist just too sensitive. Using the filter can dampen the taste quite a bit, but so can a burnt and bitten tongue so I have to live with this compromise.

I’m 86 WW II Veteran and been smoking corncob pipes since age 16. I’m in the VA healthcare and they say my lungs are perfect. I use the Dr. Grabow paper filters – a new one every day. I also occasionally roll a piece of paper towel around a toothpick and make my own filter. Regardless of the smoking and ‘second-hand smoke’ doomsayers, I think the relaxation coming from smoking a pipe beats all the hazards.

Well, I guess as much and yes, no study done to correlate mouth/oral cancer to different types of filters. Wow, you have been smoking for 30 years. Just curious, how many bowls full do you smoke a day?

I recommend beginner pipe smokers to start with active carbon filters. Then try balsa filters and then without a filter. And decide which one you like most. Carbon filters seem to be very good at eliminating tongue bite but I can’t taste what the heck I am smoking. Not to mention the weird taste/smell after a smoke. So you will have to get rid of the filter after one smoke. Balsa filters are more innocent imo. Mine are usually soaked after smoking and they smell like the actual tobacco. So you can use them multiple times. I like balsa filters. If you are not having watering problems, using balsa filters would be a waste.

I liked your article. I hate that eBay sellers rarely let you know if their pipes take a filter or not. I’m all for them, even though I don’t inhale. And the 9mm German ones for Vauen, the Dr. Perls, work nicely and seem to do all the things the balsa wood ones do and the stingers and the rest, while actually filtering the crud that would wind up on your tongue and in the crevices of your teeth. I’ve heard enough of the fellas who got mouth cancer, and I just think the precaution is a level the Germans take to help their people. I know not all their pipes use filters, especially those mountaineer pipes with all the fur, antlers, and decor, but I don’t notice any lack of smoke coming in through my filtered pipes, and I’m pleased with the experience. Perhaps my chops are less refined than many of your readers, but I enjoy the whole pipe ambiance, and even more, thinking I’ve sheared off any negative edge. BTW, the blue end goes toward the mouth on those filters. You can see it here:http://www.vauen.de/en/filter-information/dr–perl-junior-systemfilter-plus.aspx

The 9mm filter significantly reduces the exposure to toxicologically relevant smoke constituents such as acrolein, crotonaldehyde, 1,3-butadiene, and benzene. 1,3-butadiene is actually thought to be the most dangerous cancer agent. The aldehydes are related to skins cancers and irritation (throat mouth). So the 9 mm filter probably gives you a X2 to x4 improvement in safety. The original science was in 1963 and there are many articles since that detail which chemicals cause DNA damage. Moderation is the key. Filters help.

Filters block particulates and burning material. Don’t drink alcohol before or during smoking, alcohol destroys the flora and protective lining of mucus in the mouth. Must change filters religiously to be effective. US smokers are lazy. Inhalers need a filter!

Hi Russ,
Great website and great U-Tube vids!
I started smoking pipes when I was 15, no filters to start with, used to burn my mouth every single time but was told to ‘man up’. Yes I smoke too fast but hey, we’re all different. After years of doing the same I discovered German/Danish pipes and charcoal filters… a true revelation! I enjoy the taste still but what a difference it makes in terms of heat in the mouth! I was told that on average pipe smokers get more mouth/throat cancer because of this very heat from the smoke. Would I be correct in assuming that far less heat equals slightly less risks? Cheers!